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If you follow my gameplay activity then you know I spent a fair amount of time playing the Halo 5 multiplayer beta while it was available, and apparently many of you did too.

A letter written by Josh Holmes to the Halo community details how data and player feedback from the beta will improve Halo 5: Guardians while providing an inside look at some of the statistics collected from the multiplayer beta. Check it out over at Halo Waypoint.

Twenty million matches played.

Almost 290 years of gameplay logged.

More than 181 million kills confirmed.

While the “Halo 5: Guardians” Multiplayer Beta proved to be a hit among fans, the treasure trove of gameplay data and player feedback it provided is an invaluable resource that 343 Industries is using to make the game’s multiplayer experience even better.

Halo fans, today is the day many of you have been waiting for. Not only does the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta officially launch, details are emerging about the different pre-order editions you can choose from. Pre-order Halo 5: Guardians from the Microsoft Store

Launching in fall 2015 exclusively on Xbox One, Halo 5: Guardians continues the story of the Master Chief, and introduces a brand new central character to the Halo universe – Spartan Locke. Peace is shattered when colony worlds are unexpectedly attacked. And when humanity’s greatest hero goes missing, Spartan Locke is tasked with hunting the Master Chief and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.

The Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta will be available to anyone who owns a copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection from Dec. 29, 2014 through Jan. 18, 2015. Get ready for 4v4 multiplayer arena gameplay or sit back and watch the action in the new Spectator Mode. Read the full announcement over at the Xbox Wire.

Watch the below video as I showcase some of the features you can expect to see in the first week of the beta.

To celebrate today’s launch of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, fans tuned into HaloFest – a livestream event broadcast on Xbox Live, Xbox.com, Twitch, YouTube and select global press sites. The three day event included the Halo: Master Chief Collection Invitational Tournament where pro players from around the world battled it out for the chance to win $50,000 and the opportunity to be the first to play the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, set to arrive December 29.

On Monday night, HaloFest culminated with Halo fans from around the world joining Xbox and 343 Industries at the Avalon Theater in Los Angeles for an unforgettable night to celebrate the past, present and future of Halo. The event world premiered the first two episodes of Halo: Nightfall and provided a first look at gameplay of the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta.

You can watch the HaloFest finale in its entirety right here, or head straight for the highlights.

Below, catch the dramatic Grand Finals of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection Launch Invitational tournament between Str8 Rippin and Believe the Hype:

After the finals, we staged the first ever Halo 5: Guardians exhibition match, complete with commentary from Andy “Bravo” Dudynsky and Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez:

Thanks to everyone who tuned in last night and across the weekend. See you online soon.

Game Description: For the first time ever, The Master Chief’s entire story is on one console. Featuring a re-mastered Halo 2: Anniversary, along with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4, new digital series, Halo: Nightfall, and access to the Halo 5: Guardians Beta, this is the definitive Halo experience.

The Complete Master Chief Story – Honoring the iconic hero and his epic journey, The Master Chief’s entire story is brought together as The Master Chief Collection. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4 are all included with Xbox One visual fidelity, 60fps, a total of 45 campaign missions plus more than 100 multiplayer (including the original Halo Combat Evolved maps) and Spartan Ops maps. Halo 2: Anniversary – Celebrating the 10 year Anniversary, the iconic fan favorite returns. Featuring a fully re-mastered campaign with “Classic Mode” allowing you to instantly switch between the re-mastered game and the original game from 2004. Uncover new Halo 5: Guardians story elements with extended cut scenes, hidden terminal videos, and utilize all new skulls to experience the campaign in a whole new way. Including all 25 original multiplayer maps just as fans remember them, plus 6 completely re-imagined maps.

Tonight at midnight, Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be released to the world, bringing four classic games together in a shiny, expansive package. Included in the collection is access to the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, which begins next month. Tonight, the world will get its first good look at what to expect from that experience.

Beginning tonight at 8 pm Pacific (11pm Eastern) the HaloFest finale will be broadcast on Xbox Live, Xbox.com, on our official Twitch channel, and in select Microsoft Stores . Not only is this the first place you’ll get to see the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta ahead of its December 29th launch, it’s the world premiere of the Halo: Nightfall digital series, and we’ll bring you exclusive interviews with the minds behind Halo at 343 Industries and talent of “Halo: Nightfall. This is the ninth Halo title I’ve helped launch (Halo 2, 3, 4, Halo Wars, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary) and I am very much looking forward to welcoming the series to Xbox One with the spectacular Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Here’s an embed of the livestream, it’ll kick live a few minutes before 8:

Your Halo journey begins next week, and Microsoft stores are planning a celebration. Most of the nation’s 106 locations will begin Halo: The Master Chief Collection launch festivities on Monday, November 10at 10 p.m. local time.

Attendees will be able try out the game with fellow Master Chief fans while they wait, and enjoy free food and prize raffles. Be one of the first 150 to pick up your copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection to score an exclusive Halo t-shirt and Microsoft canteen. You can also catch everything from the HaloFest Premiere Event, which will be streamed to your local Microsoft Store so you won’t miss the reveal of the Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta or the debut of Halo: Nightfall.

What’s more, the Bellevue Square Mall Microsoft Store in Bellevue, WA, will host a special premiere event, which will have Master Chief available for photo opportunities. The Halo: The Master Chief Collection will come to life through a museum-like experience with Halo props from the archives and replica pieces on display throughout the store. There will be lots of great raffle prizes and giveaways too! We’re also hosting an event in the Austin Microsoft Store which will include special appearances from members of the 405th, in full Spartan Armor, 343 developers, and Halo level design master Max Hoberman.

Later in the week, I will personally be opening the Microsoft Store at Destiny USA in Syracuse, New York on Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. Then at 7pm that evening, I’ll be hosting a special fan meetup, where we’ll be raffling off a special Halo collectables package, as well as an Xbox One and other prizes.

This Facebook event page has all the details of the launch events, including exclusive grand opening day deals and giveaways.

If you pre-order Halo: The Master Chief Collection before Nov. 10, you will receive special offers including:

A $10 gift card for Microsoft Stores or $10 to spend in the Xbox Store if you order on MicrosoftStore.com.

Microsoft Exclusive Boom Skull that unlocks 2x Explosion physics

“My Other Car is a Warthog” throwback license plate frame

Master Chief window decal

If you are an Xbox Live Rewards member, you get an additional $5, which is $15 or 15,000 points total, toward the Xbox Store.

If you haven’t upgraded to an Xbox One console yet, there is also a limited-time promotion for $50 off any Xbox One. That is in addition to Microsoft Stores’ competitive trade-in offers of up to $100 toward an Xbox One.

Earlier this week, we shared a first look at the completely rebuilt cinematics for Halo 2: Anniversary as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Today, you’ve got the opportunity to see how 343 Industries set about giving Halo 2 the full Anniversary treatment as Remaking the Legend – Halo 2: Anniversary is ready for viewing.

Back in 2004, we marveled at the stunning cinematics which delivered the biggest story moments of Halo 2. Ten years later, get ready to be blown away all over again. For Halo: The Master Chief Collection, visual effects specialist Blur Studio has rebuilt Halo 2’s cinematics, and they really do need to be seen to be believed. Here’s a preview:

For your first look at the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta and the world premiere of the first episode of Halo: Nightfall, you’ll want to join us for the HaloFest Live broadcast. Join the festivities on Xbox Live, Xbox.com and Twitch, beginning at 8 p.m. PT on Monday, November 10th.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection arrives on November 11th, and is now available for digital pre-order and pre-download here.

This November, Microsoft and 343 Industries invite fans to launch Halo: The Master Chief Collection with a live broadcast of HaloFest. The HaloFest Livestream will include special sneak peeks, interviews and exclusive gameplay – including the first look at the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta and the world premiere of the first episode of Halo: Nightfall.

Join the festivities via a live broadcast on Xbox Live, Xbox.com and Twitch, beginning at 8 p.m. PT on Monday, November 10th. Have a look at the the new Halo: Nightfall trailer right here:

Today, at RTX in Austin, 343 and Certain Affinity are presenting an exclusive look at the development of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The developers will be discussing the design and vision of the project, with original Halo 2 development stories from lead Halo 2 multiplayer designer/Certain Affinity president Max Hoberman.

If you can’t join us at the Austin Convention Center today, we invite you to watch live from wherever you are on Twitch:

Any time you transition to a new platform, there is the opportunity to look at things with a new perspective. For us at 343 Industries, the launch of the Xbox One was an opportunity to think about what stories we wanted to tell, how to tell them, and how best to push the Halo franchise to showcase the platform. And, most importantly, combining our passion for Halo with the vocal and informative input from our fans.

Halo isn’t simply a perennial game franchise, it’s a part of the Xbox platform itself. In terms of innovation and ideation, it’s sometimes important to people who might not even play Halo. And of course it’s a passion and an essential experience for two generations of gamers. So we asked ourselves, how do we begin and where do we go with Halo on Xbox One?

In the past, Halo games have pushed the Xbox forward, showcasing the console and its ecosystem in entertaining and innovative ways. Making a Halo game that runs at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers, with the scope, features and scale we’ve been dreaming of for more than a decade, is non-trivial. It’s a task that we, at 343 Industries, are taking very seriously to ensure we deliver the Halo game that fans deserve, and a game that is built from the ground up for Xbox One.

I’m happy to reveal that Halo 5: Guardians, the next installment in the legendary saga of the Master Chief, will launch on Xbox One in fall of 2015. In the tradition of every Halo game since its debut in 2001, it is a massive and exciting project.

Halo 5: Guardians is a bigger effort than Halo 4. That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what’s now a brand new and more powerful engine. Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we’ve invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One’s hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen.

It’s a game that will hopefully demonstrate the talent, learnings and abilities of the 343 Industries team. A game that will incorporate the things we learned from Halo 4 about technology, aesthetics, performance and scale – and perhaps more importantly, understanding and embracing a community of gamers who love what lies at the heart of this game, and the limitless potential of the Halo universe.

And 2015 won’t simply be the year of Halo 5: Guardians, it will also be a year that offers us a unique opportunity. The opportunity to invite old friends and new audiences into that universe through the Halo television series, launched as a unique collaboration with Steven Spielberg and some of the finest creative minds in the business. A series that will stand alone, as well as complement and enrich the game experience. We’ll have more to share on the Halo television series as we near its projected fall 2015 release.

Your Journey Begins in 2014

Many fans noted that I was very deliberate with my phrasing on stage at E3 last year. I spoke about a “journey,” rather than a destination – and that journey definitely begins in 2014 with a giant leap, rather than one small step. We’ll give you much more information about our plans for this year at the Xbox E3 2014 Media Briefing on June 9, and we’re confident that Halo fans will be pretty excited the special plans we have in store.

So until E3, I’d like to express my gratitude to our massive and varied Halo community, whose energy, enthusiasm, criticism and kindness are the driving force behind what we do and what we hope to achieve in Halo 5: Guardians.

The Halo 4 Global Championship takes place live from PAX at Benaroya Hall in Seattle and on Xbox LIVE this Sunday at 4PM PDT. This is an incredibly exciting event for the team, as we showcase eSports and Halo 4 with a very ambitious production both for the fans onsite and through our Xbox LIVE interactive broadcast.

In addition to the tournament itself, we’ll also have exclusive Xbox One content debuting during the show as well as music performances that celebrate the spirit of PAX in a special way. Personally, there’s one performer I can’t wait to see the audience embrace. It’s going to be fun.

The Xbox LIVE audience will also have a chance to choose the content of the show, voting live on the console for which new Xbox One trailers they want to see first.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that the audience on Xbox LIVE as well as those at the venue will have a chance to win an Xbox One at launch! Follow @HaloWaypoint on Twitter for details. They’ll announce the tweetstakes ahead of the show.

If you’d like to attend the event in person, you’ve got a couple options. First, PAX attendees get first crack at seats with the doors opening at 3:00PM. If there are any seats available after the PAX attendees are seated, the public will be allowed entry free of charge!

PAX is the ultimate celebration of gaming, and we hope we’ll do the great spirit of PAX community justice with the Halo 4 Global Championship show. I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Content: Halo 4 Champions BundlePrice: 800 Microsoft Points Check availability in your Xbox LIVE regionDescription: Step up your game with the Halo 4 Champions Bundle, an incredible collection of maps, armors, skins, and the all-new game type Ricochet and armor mod Resistor, gathered together to complete your Halo 4 experience. The Halo 4 Champions Bundle includes the Bullseye Pack, the Steel Skin Pack, and the Infinity Armor Pack, as well as brand-new ways to personalize your Spartan, with five armor skins, five weapons skins, and eight Spartan stances for your lobby player card.

Today 343 Industries announced the “Halo 4” Global Championship.” They have teamed up with Virgin Gaming for this global tournament. Below are the details from the official press release. Hit this FAQ for more information as well.

343 Industries, Xbox 360 and Virgin Gaming are teaming up again to launch the “Halo 4” Global Championship, a summer-long tournament that will give gamers around the world a chance to battle* for glory and win $500,000 in prizes, including a grand prize of $200,000.

Spanning multiple live events and five weeks of online competition on Xbox Live, the tournament is the biggest “Halo 4” competition yet, and will kick off at the Rooster Teeth Expo on July 5 and on Xbox Live on July 15. Competitors will test their skill and fortitude against one another in intense free-for-all matches over a series of qualifying rounds (based on average scores and elimination matches) for a chance to rise through the global leaderboards and win coveted prizes.

The tournament will culminate with a two-day Finals competition in Seattle, WA from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, where players will battle to become the ultimate Spartan, with the top players receiving cash prizes.

Beginning today, players can register for the “Halo 4” Global Championship by visiting www.halo4globalchampionship.com and will be able to participate in two ways:

· Online Competition on Xbox Live. By registering through Virgin Gaming at www.halo4globalchampionship.com and selecting the custom tournament playlist in “Halo 4,” players will be able to join the competition for free on Xbox Live. Each week there will be a different free-for-all mode for players to enjoy.

To qualify for a chance to compete in the Finals, players will need to complete a minimum of 20 matches in the tournament playlist per week. At the end of each week the players with the top four average scores will be deemed winners and be eligible to compete in the Finals. Additionally, each week qualifying players will have a chance to randomly win** special prizes.

· Live Events. Players will also be able to join the tournament by participating in live competitions at the Rooster Teeth Expo in Austin, TX from July 5 to 7 and Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from Aug. 21 to 25. Six finalists from each of the live events and 20 from the online qualifiers will receive an expenses paid trip to participate in the Finals in Seattle, Washington.

For additional information, including the registration process, rules, prizing and a full list of qualifying countries, please visit: www.halo4globalchampionship.com and select the registration link.

Available this July for $6.99 ERP only on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, “Halo: Spartan Assault” is the first top-down action shooter that brings a “Halo” video game to touch-based devices. Developed by 343 Industries in conjunction with Vanguard Games, “Halo: Spartan Assault” provides an accessible, pick-up-and-play experience for fans and newcomers alike.

Content: Halo 4 Castle Map PackPrice: 800 Microsoft Points Check availability in your Xbox LIVE regionDash Text: If you own Halo 4’s “War Game Map Pass,” DO NOT purchase this content here as you will be charged again. Daybreak is set in a military facility against the backdrop of an idyllic mountain range, while Outcast plunges you into the warrens, canyons and arches of an alien edifice, and Perdition takes players into the heart of an urban sprawl, with tactical speed and situational awareness its key features.

On Friday, April 12, there will be a “Halo 4” DLC sale for anyone who has not yet purchased the “Halo 4” War Games Map Pass or the first two individual Map Packs. A listing of the sale prices is as follows: